


Manchester Blues

by foodie2468



Category: Women's Soccer RPF
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-04
Updated: 2013-10-04
Packaged: 2017-12-28 09:18:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,375
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/990347
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/foodie2468/pseuds/foodie2468
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Abby harshly brushed an errant strand of hair away from her forehead, “You signed with Manchester.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Manchester Blues

**Author's Note:**

> Based on the rumor/news that Hope Solo is/was being sought by Manchester City Women's FC.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” 

“Tell you what?” Abby poked at her scrambled eggs, scooping up a bite and chewing slowly. It was a lazy Sunday morning, and she didn’t feel like doing anything more than enjoying her breakfast and relaxing out in the sun, watching the clouds and forgetting the world even existed. Considering the chaos that was coming up with the NWSL, World Cup qualifying, and camps, this was her last chance for a long while to put her feet up and chill. 

“About Hope.” Sarah puttered over to the kitchen counter, coffee mug secure in her hand. 

Abby frowned and pricked another mound of fluffy yellow, “What about her?” She wasn’t injured again, was she? 

“With England.” Sarah set her mug down, sliding onto the stool beside the taller woman, “I didn’t think she’d actually go for it. It’s surprising.” 

“England? What are you talking about?” she was not following this conversation at all. The brush of fur against her bare toes distracted her, and she blindly reached down and patted the dog settling at her feet. 

Sarah plucked up her cell from where it was charging and tapped the screen a few times, pulling up the first news article she could find, “Here.” 

Abby let the phone slip into her palm, rubbing the remnants of sleep out of her eyes before forcing them to focus on the small font. 

**Solo Goes British: Hope Solo Signs With Manchester City**

A piece of egg lodged in her throat, forcing her to cough wildly, “W-What?” 

Sarah looked at her sympathetically and lightly patted her back, “She didn’t tell you? I thought she’d at least tell a few of you.” 

“No…she…” Abby shook her head. She gracelessly jumped off the stool, it was more of a jerky hop than anything, “I just…give me a second.” 

The tall forward stormed out of the room, fingers jabbing at the screen. Her mind whirled. Hope signed with Manchester City? She was going to England? It had to be a joke. A mistake. Hope wasn’t going anywhere. She was staying in Seattle. Everyone knew that. Hope would never leave Seattle. 

She could clearly remember them bickering about it once. Abby had the audacity to suggest they look for an apartment in California together. 

That didn’t pan out. 

After a few forceful slaps at the mini hunk of plastic, the phone was pressed to her ear, a faint ringing echoing in her head. 

“Hello?” an exhausted voice mumbled. 

“What the hell, Hope?” 

There was a long pause. Then, “Abby?” The sound of rustling sheets and a groan, “It’s five in the fucking morning.” 

A glimmer of guilt twisted in her chest, but it quickly disappeared as she remembered the headline, “What’s wrong with you?” 

“Didn’t know sleeping was a crime, Wambach.” 

Abby rolled her eyes. Leave it to Hope to be a sarcastic smartass, “That’s not what I’m talking about.” 

“Because I can so easily read your mind from thousands of miles away.” A slight yawn. 

Abby harshly brushed an errant strand of hair away from her forehead, “You signed with Manchester.” 

The accusation was out there. 

Hope took a moment before responding, “You’re waking me up at five in the morning because of that?” 

Abby let out a frustrated breath, “You’re not going to England, Hope.” 

“I’m not?” there was a thread of challenge in her voice. 

“No,” Abby stomped out the sliding backdoor, squinting as the overly bright sunlight reflected off the crisp blue pool water, “You’re not leave Seattle. You’d never leave Seattle. This must be some mix up.” 

“Since I’ve never gone anywhere else to play.” The sheets rustled again and the almost inaudible click of a bedside lamp followed, “Never went to Sweden or France or anywhere. Don't even have to learn a new language.” 

“That was different.” Abby paced along the edge of the water, her reflection massive in the trickling waves, “The league wasn’t around then. We have the NWSL now. You have Seattle. You’ve always wanted Seattle.” 

A sigh, “Whatever. Can we maybe talk about this when the rest of the west coast is awake?” 

“No, we’re talking about it now. Why them? Why now?” 

“It’s a good opportunity.” Hope recited. 

“That’s such bullshit.” Abby growled, “Don’t say what you’re going to end up telling ESPN or whoever. You’ve never let anyone put words in your mouth before, don’t start acting like you’re going to say all the right things now.” 

Hope’s tone dropped dangerously, “What do you want from me, Abby?” 

“I want the truth.” 

“That is the truth.” 

“No, it’s not. You can play over here. We have the World Cup coming up, or did you forget about that?” 

“I didn’t forget.” She bit out, “I will still be available for training and qualifying.” The distant pattering of footsteps backed the goalkeeper’s words, “That isn’t what this is about.” 

“What?” 

“You know I wouldn’t endanger our World Cup chances. Ever.” Hope shot back, “What’s this all about? You never cared where I played before.” 

“That’s not true.” She always cared. Always took an interest in where her teammate was. 

“I’m going to Manchester. It’s a done deal. I already signed and had Rich send in the paperwork.” 

Her stomach plummeted to her knees. The wind left her lungs, and her knees buckled slightly. She swallowed thickly, inside of her mouth turning to sand, “Why didn’t you tell me?” 

“Are you serious? Is that what this is all about? Because I didn’t tell you?” clanging and buzzing echoed loudly. 

Abby could picture her starting the expensive espresso machine she owned, “You should have told me.” 

“Sorry, didn’t know I still needed to tell you every little detail of my day.” 

“I never needed to know every detail, I just wanted to know something.” It was easy to slide back into one of their old arguments. 

“I talked it over with the people I needed to. Rich. Marcus. My mom.” 

“And you never once mentioned it to me. Not once. You made it seem like there was no way you would ever leave Seattle, and I believed you. Christ Hope, have you even told anyone else on the team?” 

“I told Kelley.” 

Kelley? Out of everyone – Kelley? That hurt more than Abby would admit, “And what did she say?” 

“She said to do what I needed to do. She would support me no matter what.” Her words flickered. 

Of course Kelley would say that. “What are you going to do over there? You don’t know anyone. You don’t have any family over there. Where are you going to stay?” 

“I’ll figure it out. I always do. I don’t need you to mother me, _Mary._ I already have one of those.” 

“How about a dad to tell you when you’re fucking up?” she knew it was the wrong thing to say the second it left her lips. 

The line went deadly silent. 

“Fuck. You.” Hope snarled. 

“Hope,” she wanted to take it back. Tried to. 

She was interrupted before she could, “What? You want me to call you daddy now? What kind of…I don’t need this.” 

Hope was going to hang up. Abby could feel it, “Wait! I’m sorry.” Her voice dropped, “You know I didn’t mean that. I wasn’t thinking. You know how I am. I talk and sometimes…” 

“You just say shit and don’t even think about it.” Hope bitterly finished for her. “Yeah, I know.” 

Abby pinched the bridge of her nose, “I’m sorry. It’s just all so sudden. One day you were staying and the next you’re going to Europe. I don’t get it.” 

A frustrated exhale, “Forget it. Hang up, Abby. Shouldn’t you be with your wife right now eating cereal and watching cartoons or something?” 

Abby stopped in her tracks. She was never singled out as the smartest player on the squad. She didn’t graduate from Stanford like Barnie or get named an all academic like Rachel. But, what Hope said triggered something in her mind, and the wheels started turning, “Hope?” 

“What?” she sounded tired. Exhausted. 

Abby peeked over her shoulder at the closed door before padding over to the far corner of the pool and hunching over, “Is this about Sarah?” 

An unamused chuckle burst out, “What?” 

“I’m serious.” Abby took a breath, “If it is…” 

“You’ll what?” The laughter ended quickly, “You think I’m going to Manchester because of you? Because you got married? Get over yourself, Wambach.” 

“You were fine before we got married.” Abby pointed out. She grit her teeth, “You didn’t come to the ceremony.” 

“I had prior commitments.” 

“Like divorcing Jerramy?” 

Another pause, and this time Abby thought Hope might have hung up. She even pulled the phone away to check if the line was still connected. When she brought it back in, Hope’s voice rattled her, “I’m not doing this with you. Not everyone gets their death do us part happily ever after perfect family, so go back to Sarah and get over your sudden need to give a fuck about whatever is going on in my personal life.” 

“Hope,” 

“Go to hell, Abby.” 

“I,” 

“This is so like you!” Hope half-shouted, causing Abby to recoil. “You get it in your head you have to know everything. That if you’re not a part of something it’ll all go to hell. You have no control over my life anymore! You don’t get a say in what I do or don’t do!” 

“I never did.” Abby cut in. Hope always kept a wall up. Even when they were alone together, tangled up in rumpled sheets and each other, Hope never fully gave herself completely. 

“You really want to go there?” 

The lilt in the former blonde’s voice sent Abby’s mind back to ’07.  “We moved past that.” Or at least she thought they did. 

“Yeah, and I thought you moved past this.” 

Abby ran a hand through her hair, “Listen. I’m sorry it didn’t work out with him. Ok? I’m sorry you got hurt. I never wanted to see you get hurt by anyone. Ever. I care about you. Ok? I do.” A shaky gulp, “And if…if my marriage to Sarah is hurting you or…or making you think you need to go to England or whatever…I need you to tell me. Please.” 

“I’m not going to England because of you.” 

“Are you sure? Because, Hope, I know it was a long time ago. But…” 

“You think that because we messed around together back when we were basically kids that I can’t handle you getting married? We were never going to get that far.” 

That stung, “We could have.” 

“No. No, we couldn’t have.” 

The burning in her chest ripped open and spilled out, “I would have married you.” 

It all went quiet. 

Abby closed her eyes, pressing the heel of her palm against them, “It wasn’t easy being with you. It was hard. But…I loved you, Hope.” 

There was no sound from the other end. 

Heaving a shuddering breath, Abby continued, faltering every few words, “My family…I wanted to share them with you. Share soccer. Share everything. But you…you didn’t. You never talked to me. About anything. How…How you felt. What you wanted. I wanted so much for you to just trust me enough to…to talk to me.” 

They never got to get this all out there. Never fully discussed their relationship…or the ending of it. 

“I had plans for us, you know? I…uh…I wanted you to…to experience a Wambach Christmas. See you surrounded by my brothers and sisters, being told stupid jokes and laughing over eggnog. For you to know they all cared about you, too. I wanted…to…to hold you while you slept and chase away all the nightmares. To have your things mixed with mine to the point I didn’t know whose was what. We woulda lived in Hermosa Beach. At that apartment I showed you. We’d go to the beach on our days off. Walk along eating ice cream and watching the surfers. You’d make breakfast in the morning because you always woke up before me. I’d make dinner. My family would sit with yours during our games.” 

“Stop.” Hope whispered. 

Abby let her hand drop, “I didn’t understand why you ended things. I never have. I thought we were working. You were finally opening up to me a little. Then…then you were gone. Yeah, I handled it badly. I admit that. I was…I was terrible to you. I let it cloud my judgment and let myself get drawn in to what I thought I needed to focus on. And I’m sorry for that. I’ve told you that.” 

“I know you are.” 

“I’m still here for you. I still care about you. We’re friends. You could have talked to me about this.” 

“No, I couldn’t.” 

“Why not?” 

“If I told you I’d stay. I wouldn’t go to England if you would leave Sarah and come back to me…would you do it?” 

She loved Sarah. Wanted to spend the rest of her life with her. What they had was nearly perfect. Phantom feelings still lingered in her heart, however. They always would. She hesitated. Only a moment. A moment’s hesitation was all it took. 

“That’s why.” Hope’s voice was drained, “You shouldn’t say things like what you just said to someone when you’ve just gotten married, Abby. I’ve already fucked up my own marriage, I’m not going to ruin yours as well.” 

“Hope,” 

“I loved you, too. But this…this has nothing to do with you. I’ll see you at camp.” 

The line disconnected. 

Abby let the phone lower, biting her wobbling bottom lip. 

“Hey, everything ok?” Sarah called out from the door. 

Abby let her head droop. As she did so, her thumb accidentally glided over the screen. Sarah’s twitter feed popped up, and one of the top tweets caught her eye.

 

 

@kohara19: It's a cool thing you'll never know all the ways I tried

        It's a hard thing faking a smile when I feel like I'm falling apart inside

 

_“I’m not going to England because of you.”_

_“I told Kelley.”_

Icy realization raced down her spine, “Shit.”     

**Author's Note:**

> This may be continued, it may not. Depends on the level of support. I still have to finish Talking Heads and Newspaper Clippings as well as Amor Vincit Omnia. (Same caveat goes for We Were Always Meant to Meet)


End file.
